On Sunday, 3 October, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called out the Union government over the issue of growing Chinese invasion into Ladakh and Uttarakhand.
Gandhi, who along with his party members have been attacking the Centre over the issue of Chinese Ladakh invasions also took a dig at PM Modi's '56 inch chest' remark, that he had made in the rallies prior to 2014 Lok Sabha polls
In a tweet, put out on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi said,
China plus Pakistan plus ‘Mr 56 inch’ is equal to growing Chinese invasion in India’s land.Rahul Gandhi
Background
On 30 August, almost 100 soldiers of China's People Liberation Army (PLA) breached the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and entered the Barahoti sector in Uttarakhand. According to people in the know, the soldiers returned from the place only after a few hours later, The Indian Express reported. Also, there was reportedly no official comment on the invasion.
The invasion came at a time when a standoff has been continuing between Indian and Chinese troops at several areas in eastern Ladakh, even though both parties have completed disengagement at two sensitive areas.
Following the eastern Ladakh standoff, while India has been maintaining a strict vigil throughout the 3,500 km long LAC, China too has ramped up infrastructure along the sector.
The standoff between Indian and Chinese troops began in early May, last year, after a violent fight erupted between both parties at the Pangong lake area. Subsequently, the two countries significantly increased deployment of soldiers and weapons.
This year, in February, both the countries had finished the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the banks of Pangong lake. Both now have around 50,000 to 60,000 troops each at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive area.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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